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Days of the Month in Japanese: 1st–31st Chart and Rules

The days of the month in Japanese are irregular because many dates do not follow a simple number + 日 reading. For example, the 10th is 十日 read tooka, the 14th is 十四日 read juuyokka, and the 20th is 二十日 read hatsuka. The best method is to learn the full 1st–31st chart first and then use it inside complete dates.

Most important irregular forms: 一日, 二日, 三日, 四日, 七日, 八日, 九日, 十日, 十四日, 二十日, 二十四日.

Written by YoruLearn Team · Last reviewed:

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Full 1st–31st Japanese Date Chart

DayJapaneseReadingNotes
1st一日ついたちirregular
2nd二日ふつかirregular
3rd三日みっかirregular
4th四日よっかirregular
5th五日いつかirregular family
6th六日むいかirregular family
7th七日なのかirregular
8th八日ようかirregular
9th九日ここのかirregular
10th十日とおかirregular
11th十一日じゅういちにちregular
12th十二日じゅうににちregular
13th十三日じゅうさんにちregular
14th十四日じゅうよっかirregular
15th十五日じゅうごにちregular
16th十六日じゅうろくにちregular
17th十七日じゅうしちにちregular
18th十八日じゅうはちにちregular
19th十九日じゅうくにちregular
20th二十日はつかirregular
21st二十一日にじゅういちにちregular
22nd二十二日にじゅうににちregular
23rd二十三日にじゅうさんにちregular
24th二十四日にじゅうよっかirregular
25th二十五日にじゅうごにちregular
26th二十六日にじゅうろくにちregular
27th二十七日にじゅうしちにちregular
28th二十八日にじゅうはちにちregular
29th二十九日にじゅうくにちregular
30th三十日さんじゅうにちregular
31st三十一日さんじゅういちにちregular

Exact Answers for 10 Days, 12th Day, and Counting Days

These are common date-intent searches because the readings do not look intuitive at first:

Notice that the 10th keeps an old native reading, while the 12th follows the more regular number-plus-にち pattern.

Why Japanese Date Readings Are Irregular

Japanese dates mix older native day words with the newer Sino-Japanese number system. That is why 一日 is ついたち, 二十日 is はつか, and other dates look regular but sound different.

The irregular days are simply the ones most native speakers memorize as whole units. Once you know them, the rest of the month becomes much easier.

How Full Dates Work in Japanese

Japanese full dates usually follow this order: year, month, day.

For the wider pattern, see Japanese Date Format and Months in Japanese.

Use It: Three Date Reading Checks

Cover the answers and read the full date aloud from the kanji. The irregular days are easier to retain when they appear in realistic calendar dates.

How do you read the 1st day of the month: 一日?

ついたち. This is a special date reading. Do not use the general number reading いちにち when you mean the first of the month.

How do you read 八日 and 二十日 as calendar dates?

ようか and はつか. These are two of the irregular readings worth memorizing as complete date words.

Put “December 6, 2026” in the normal Japanese date order.

2026年12月6日. Japanese dates normally move from the largest unit to the smallest: year, month, then day. The sixth is read むいか.

5 Common Mistakes with Japanese Dates

  1. Trying to invent the reading from the number alone. Many dates must be memorized as full words.
  2. Forgetting the old-style irregular days. 1st through 10th contain many of the biggest traps.
  3. Mixing month readings and day readings. 四月 and 四日 do not read the same way.
  4. Skipping full date practice. The chart becomes easier only when you use it in realistic dates.
  5. Ignoring the most common problem dates. 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 20, and 24 deserve extra review.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you say the days of the month in Japanese?

Japanese dates use 日, but many readings are irregular, so learners usually memorize the chart rather than deriving every form from one rule.

How do you say 10 days in Japanese?

The 10th day is 十日, read とおか.

How do you say the 12th day in Japanese?

The 12th day is 十二日, read じゅうににち.

Why are Japanese date readings irregular?

Many day names preserve older native counting patterns, so they do not all follow modern number readings.

How do full Japanese dates work?

Japanese dates normally follow year, month, day order: 2026年7月15日.

What is the best way to memorize Japanese dates?

Start with the most irregular dates, then practice full dates using months and weekdays.

Related Study Pages

Months in JapaneseAll 12 months with readings and date examples. Japanese Date FormatHow full dates are written correctly. Days of the Week in JapaneseMonday to Sunday with kanji meanings. Japanese Time ExpressionsToday, tomorrow, last week, last year, and more.

Keep Japanese Dates Active with YoruLearn

The YoruLearn app helps you retain date vocabulary, irregular day readings, and schedule phrases through spaced repetition flashcards and reading practice.

Get on iOSJoin Android waitlistStudy Months

Japanese Date Reading and Planning Lab

Use this with the 1st–31st chart to test an irregular day inside a full date and a simple schedule phrase.

For the complete system, link your chosen day with months, weekdays, and date format.